Inactive Discover card?

[uop1497]

I have a discover card for a very long time and use it mainly for all purchases .Until Costco no longer accepts it, I get the AMEX Costco card in my name.

Since then, I hardly use my discover card and have thought about closing it. However, a friend of my think I should keep it since it will help to get my credit score better. Not sure if what my friend told me is true. My credit scores is > 800

Now, I received a email from Discover to indicate that they will close my card in 30 days due to inactive .

Same thing, I have a capitol one , just use for travel purpose . I got a card a at that time because, only Capitol ( no annual fee) has the 0 foreign transaction fee . And this card sits long in my drawer and it has a special meaning . (It saved me when my return fly was cancelled in a middle of our family trip oversea by a scam travel agent who filed a bankruptcy)

I just wonder if I should contact Discover to try to keep this card open . This card is the longest card I have under my individual account . In my opinion, this card may not have any real benefit now, but it is the first credit card I got in my own name, I feel that it is a part of my life. If I let it closed, I just feel a little part of my life also missing .

 

[DeniseM]

Just use the card once a month, and it will stay open. An easy to do this with no effort is to set up an auto-pay on it for something like your phone bill, or other small monthly bill.

 

[Vacationfuntips]

Why not try and use the card to keep it active?

Cynthia T.

 

[Passepartout]

I had a Discover card that I kept just because I'd had it forever. Eventually, I just didn't use it. I'm not one to collect credit cards, so when I got a letter saying to either use it or it would be cancelled, I just let it drop. No harm came to my credit score, and I don't miss having that card. I have never encountered a merchant who would only accept Discover an no other- unlike AMEX which is comparatively thinly accepted.

Let the Discover go with your happy memories of using it earlier in life.

Jim

 

[pedro47]

I have a discover card for a very long time and use it mainly for all purchases .Until Costco no longer accepts it, I get the AMEX Costco card in my name.

Since then, I hardly use my discover card and have thought about closing it. However, a friend of my think I should keep it since it will help to get my credit score better. Not sure if what my friend told me is true. My credit scores is > 800

Now, I received a email from Discover to indicate that they will close my card in 30 days due to inactive .

Same thing, I have a capitol one , just use for travel purpose . I got a card a at that time because, only Capitol ( no annual fee) has the 0 foreign transaction fee . And this card sits long in my drawer and it has a special meaning . (It saved me when my return fly was cancelled in a middle of our family trip oversea by a scam travel agent who filed a bankruptcy)

I just wonder if I should contact Discover to try to keep this card open . This card is the longest card I have under my individual account . In my opinion, this card may not have any real benefit now, but it is the first credit card I got in my own name, I feel that it is a part of my life. If I let it closed, I just feel a little part of my life also missing .

You know sometime in 2016 Costco will be stopping using the AMEX Costco card.

 

[isisdave]

I never heard of an emotional attachment to a credit card before.

I'd use the Discover card once, wait 2 days, call them and ask to keep it. They probably will not (I'm guessing the cancel-unused-accounts software is in control now), but they'll issue you another I'm sure.

I set a reminder on my Google Calendar to use my "backup" cards annually. Also to have some transaction on my FF accounts to keep them from canceling my miles.

I really don't think you need to worry about credit score in this regard.

 

[uop1497]

Thank you for your inputs.

I will contact Discover to see if they will let me keep the card. If not, I think it time for me to say good bye with it.

Thanks for let me know about Costco will not accept AMEX next year. I heard that Costco will use Citibank Credit card next year. Can someone please confirm .

 

[WinniWoman]

If you just use it once for the year it should be ok. Also, Discover has some good 5% cash back deals every quarter. Why not sign up for them to get the rewards in the specific categories? I use the AMEX Blue card for Gas and Food, but I also use Discover for whatever other categories get 5% back, such as Amazon purchases right now.

 

[presley]

The reason why someone told you your credit score is higher if you keep the card open is that the more credit available that you aren't using, the higher your credit score. However, I cannot imagine your credit score dropping low enough to be significant, unless you have late payments/defaulted loans somewhere else.

I had a couple cards close on me this year for the reason of non use. My credit score is still over 800. No big deal. And, I don't plan to go into debt, so I don't care about a high credit score anyway. It's only important if you plan to go into debt. However, as I said, I am still "a highly dependable borrower."

 

[geekette]

With a credit score over 800, it's simply not going to matter. It's also not going to matter that it was your first credit card. Time moves on and credit agencies aren't going to care.

I like to close what I'm not using so if you have no reason to keep it other than sentimental, dump it.